


Your Pies Making Me So Strong

by agrajag



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: First Kiss, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-27 12:44:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13248504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agrajag/pseuds/agrajag
Summary: "I was thinking," Ransom said from where he was sitting sideways in the secondhand armchair he and Holster had pulled into their new apartment from the alleyway."Yeah?" Holster said, going for unconcerned, but Ransom could see him glancing up from his phone to check on Ransom."Jack's super busy. Bitty's back at Samwell. Tater's all cooped up by himself, so I thought since we got a few days off while the building is being fumigated, I thought it'd be cool if I went up and kept Tater company.""Dude," Holster said. He locked his phone and set it down on the coffee table. "You know I love you, so I'm totally saying this out of love, but you could barely talk to Tater the first time you met. Then the second time, you were an anxious mess and made sure someone was always with you if Tater was around. You sure you can handle being with him one-on-one?"Ransom shrugged."Honestly, IDK, man. But I wanna try. To do the right thing."





	Your Pies Making Me So Strong

It had become common knowledge among hockey fans that Tater was staying at Jack's while his leg healed. Not that it had been a secret. As soon as Tater got himself situated on Jack's couch, he tweeted a picture of himself with a piece of pie with the caption "Everything captain should be! Vacation at Zimmboni's!" Bitty had been the one to suggest it, as he told the group chat, because he certainly couldn't have Tater limping around his apartment by himself. The problem, however, was that Bitty wasn't exactly at Jack's 24/7 for another month, so he invited Tater in and sort of, kinda of, dumped him on poor Jack. Not that Jack minded terribly. He would have wanted to help Tater even if Bitty hadn't offered first. In fact, it was Bitty that was getting annoyed with Tater and his constant demands for pie. One day Ransom's phone didn't stop buzzing for almost an hour straight while Bitty complained about how much baking he had to do while the rest of Samwell basically all replied "Who are you and what have you done with Bitty?"

Bitty was coming back for finals week, leaving Tater all alone with only leftover pie for company. Well, and Jack when he wasn't at practice or jogging. So almost never. It was a busy time for a professional hockey player.

"I was thinking," Ransom said from where he was sitting sideways in the secondhand armchair he and Holster had pulled into their new apartment from the alleyway.

"Yeah?" Holster said, going for unconcerned, but Ransom could see him glancing up from his phone to check on Ransom.

"Jack's super busy. Bitty's back at Samwell. Tater's all cooped up by himself, so I thought since we got a few days off while the building is being fumigated, I thought it'd be cool if I went up and kept Tater company."

"Dude," Holster said. He locked his phone and set it down on the coffee table. "You know I love you, so I'm totally saying this out of love, but you could barely talk to Tater the first time you met. Then the second time, you were an anxious mess and made sure someone was always with you if Tater was around. You sure you can handle being with him one-on-one?"

Ransom shrugged.

"Honestly, IDK, man. But I wanna try. To do the right thing."

Holster nodded and picked his phone back up.

"The right thing," he said as he started scrolling again. "Sure. Well, I support you then, dude. And I'll just be a phonecall away if you need anything."

"Thanks, man," Ransom said with a smile.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

So that's how Ransom found himself driving up to Providence after telling Jack about his plan. With his gym bag, packed with a couple days worth of clothes, slung over his shoulder, he made his way up to Jack's apartment and knocked on the door.

A muffled "Hold on" came from inside the apartment and a minute later the door opened to reveal a Tater with a knee brace and a tee covered in many pie crumbs.

"Randy!" he said excitedly. "See? I remember this time. Zimmboni say you coming. In. In!"

Ransom laughed and followed Tater ino the apartment. He was still limping slightly, though he was looking better than he had in the footage Ransom had seen from after the game. Ransom set his bag down in the entryway to deal with later and rushed to Tater's side.

"Do you need help getting around?" he asked.

"Too kind, Randy. I am strong. This? Nothing. Company, though, much appreciated."

"Well, I, uh, I'm glad to be of service." Ransom winced at his wording. That wasn't overly formal or anything. "Also, you can call me Justin, if you want."

"Justin?" Tater asked, finger and thumb poised by his chin as he studied Ransom. "Justin suit you. Good name. Justin also call me Alexei."

"Oh, yeah, sure. Sounds good. Did you need me to get you anything while I'm up... Alexei?"

"Pie," Tater said quickly.

Ransom went to the kitchen and found several tupperware containers with several types of pie, all neatly labled in Bitty's handwriting.

"What kind did you want?"

"Blueberry."

"I see Bitty's got you hooked on his pie," Ransom said as he handed Tater the plate. "How much of this have you eaten since you came here?"

"Hmmmm." Tater pretended to think for a moment. "Not more than Justin and gang has since knowing of B."

"Well, can't argue with that," Ransom said.

So he didn't.

Or say anything else for that matter. It was quiet in the room other than Tater eating his pie. Ransom was analyzing everything he was doing wrong. Everything he had already done wrong since he got to the apartment. What he was going to do wrong in the next couple of days. How Tater could never like him. As a friend, that is. That's all Ransom could ask for, after all. He was about to suggest seeing what was on TV so they weren't sitting in awkward silence, and hopefully get his mind to stop running a million miles an hour, when Tater finished his pie and smiled at him.

"So good to have friend to just spend time with," he said. He tried to lean forward to set his empty plate onto the coffee table, but was having a hard time with his knee, so Ransom met him halfway and grabbed it.

"Friend, huh?" he said quietly.

"Course, Justin. And friend gets more pie, yes?"

"I think you've had enough for now."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Jack and Bitty.

_Kissed._

They kissed. _On the ice._

After the Falconers won _the cup_.

Ransom still couldn't quite grasp the reality of the situation. His head was reeling. He was so happy for his friends, but he was also nervous, because he knew what was going to come with what they had done. Even he felt relieved when he found out that Georgia had managed to convince the press to wait until the following morning to ask the players questions. He, Holster, and Lardo helped Jack and Bitty sneak out the back while the rest of the team left through the front, throwing out "No comment"s to fend off the journalists who were still hanging around. Plus, if that didn't work, Shitty was with them and that would distract anyone. Ransom later heard from Marty that Shitty attempted to do a cartwheel, failed, fell on his face, and quickly propped himself up on his side in a stereotypical sexy pose and finger gunned at the cameras that were pointed at him. And that was before Shitty had started drinking.

Well, there had been a beer or two during the game, but that wasn't anything compared to the party he insited they throw once they got back to Jack's apartment.

Ransom was surprised that Jack and Bitty agreed to it. They kept looking at each other, the definition of smitten, and Ransom figured they'd want time alone. Though, it wasn't like they would actually be alone. Tater was still couch bound and Ransom was still in the guest room under the guise to help Tater. Might as well invite over a few other people. Have a few drinks. Listen to music at a respectable level.

Which had never happened ever when any of them were involved.

Shitty knew where all the best liquor stores were in Jack's neighborhood despite only having two or three extended visits there. Within an hour, Jack's apartment looked like the Haus during one of their kegsters. Everyone was having a great time. Even Jack and Bitty seemed to be enjoying themselves, even if Jack was asking Shitty to "at least put your underwear back on." Ransom laughed as Jack went on his futile mission and made his way over to the kitchen to get another beer. He found Tater leaning against the counter, eating a piece of pie.

"Justin! So glad to see you!"

"You saw me before the game," Ransom pointed out. "It hasn't been that long."

"Feels longer. Missed you, Justin. How was game?" Tater asked, quickly changing the subject. "Was hard to not be playing and wasn't the same to watch on TV."

"It was amazing. I'm sorry that your knee still isn't better."

"Me too. And not. Longer my knee is bad, longer you be keeping me company."

"Oh, uh, have you had a lot to drink tonight?" Ransom asked, because he couldn't just accept what Tater was saying at face value. Which seemed like Tater saw them as much more than friends.

"Nothing. Doctor said no with medication. Is bad. So just pie for me."

"Oh, yeah. That's good."

"But you here for drink, yes?" Tater opened the fridge and pulled out two different kinds of beer. "You like these two?"

"Actually, I, uh, I think I've had enough for now," Ransom said as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck.

"Oh, so you come for me?" Tater asked, looking hopeful. "Because I hoping to talk to you at some point. Hard when Zimmboni's friends throw party, though."

Ransom looked around the kitchen and saw that they were still the only ones in there. Not like the apartment's open layout ever meant you were truly alone except for in the bedroom or the shower, but the music was loud enough that no one was going to hear their conversation, which Ransom was extremely grateful for. Tater was probably about to let Ransom down, because after about a week, his crush must have been glaringly obvious.

"Yeah, sorry about that," he said. "I'm sure all you want to do is rest more, and now you've got a raging party going on around you."

"Not problem. I love Zimmboni's friends. They my friends now, too," Tater said and whoa. When had he gotten so close to Ransom? "Especially Justin."

"Yeah, yeah. Of course."

Tater gently placed his hand on Ransom's arm.

"And more than that, soon, I hope. Zimmboni and B has given me courage to ask you out."

"Wait. Are you sure?" Ransom's traituous mouth asked.

"Justin, you been here looking after me for week when you didn't have to. You funny, good player, and hot."

Ransom was glad he hadn't grabbed another drink because he would have choked. Though, Tater obviously noticed what that last bit of information did to him.

"Is true. You see mirror?"

"Well, objectively. I don't want to sound full of myself. Anyway, that's not the point. I can't believe that you want... me."

"Yes, Justin. Please be saying yes?"

"Yes, of course," Ransom said quickly. "Yes."

"I be kissing you now," Tater said and finally closed the last bit of distance between them.

No one could blame Ranson for freezing. His arm stayed firmly on the counter as Tater cradled Ransom's head in his hands and slotted their lips together. He kissed Ransom softly, and for a moment, Ransom felt like how he imagined Jack and Bitty had felt earlier.

"Yo!" Ransom heard Shitty yell from the other room. He turned around and saw Shitty, wearing underwear again thank God, standing on top of the pool table. "I can only take one life changing kiss per day, bro."

"Yeah," Holster chimed in. "You two trying to steal Jack and Bitty's thunder?"

"Thunder is ours now," Tater yelled back.

"Oh boys, I'm so happy for y'all," Bitty said. He wobbled over to Ransom and Tater and pulled them into a group hug, which for someone of Bitty's size compared to someones of Ransom and Tater's sizes, was quite the accomplishment.

"Thanks Bitty," Ransom mumbled into the top of Bitty's head.

"B, you bake pie to celebrate?" Tater asked.

"I thought I'd never say this, but I'm tired of baking pies," Bitty said as Ransom said, "I think you've had enough."

The entire party was laughing at them by that point, and normally that would make Ransom a little self conscious, but he was honestly so happy he couldn't care.

**Author's Note:**

> i've wanted to write some ransom/tater for awhile now and i'll definitely do something more for this pairing in the future but between bitty bomb and the extras yesterday with tater on jack's couch
> 
> i literally just wrote this all in the last hour and a half while main lining charmed so if it's ridiculous forgive me


End file.
